Separation of solid substances



July 26, 193". A. D. J. ELIE SEPARATION OF SOLID SUBSTANCES Filed Jan.24. 1930 2 Shgets-Sheet 1 D. (fl/e.

lNvln-ak may July 26, 1932. A. D. J. ELlE. 1,369,241

SEPARATION OF SOLID SUBSTANCES Filed Jan. 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l hI x5 y L Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES ALEXIS DESIRE JQSEPH ELIE,OF 'rANANARIvE, MADAGASCAR SEPARATION OF SOLID SUBSTANCES Applicationfiled January 24, 1930, Serial No. 423,279, and in France March 29,1829.

The invention relates to the separation of solid substances, and moreparticularly to a method, and an apparatus for separating minerals, suchas graphite, from its ore, by

I the emulsion process.

In the known methods for the extraction of mineral substances or forenriching the ores by the emulsion process, the raw material containingthe mineral substance or sub- 39 stances to be removed is mixed with anemulsion consisting of a liquid medium such as water, with anemulsifying substances, such as cresyl, oils or the like. This processrequires a great power, and the apparatus is 35 subjectto a considerablewear, chiefly when the mineral substances are very hard. On thecontrary, if such-mineral substances are of a friable nature, these arecrumbled with a resulting loss; furthermore, due to such 9 crumbling ofthe material it is difiicult to produce an emulsion, as certain ores orminerals or their gangue produce a colloidal solution which prevents theformation of o foam. and such minerals must be sub ected to apreliminary operation, prior to the emulsion process.

The present invention has for its object to obviate the aforesaiddrawbacks; another object of the invention is to devise a plant whereinthe emulsifying agent, which may consist of an emulsion of a liquid suchas water or the like with cres l or similar emulsifying substance. mixedwith air or suitable gas, is prepared in a place which is distinct fromthe region where the mineral substance to be treated is" emulsified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plant wherein theemulsion, such as water or other liquid with a gas, to which is added anemulsifying substance, is circulated in a closed circuit.

Further characteristics of the invention are specified in the followingdescription.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given solely by way of example;

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a plant according to the inventionwhich comprises a. single emulsifying apparatus,

' Figure 2 is the corresponding plan view.

surrounding the body 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a modified construction.

Figure 4 is a plan View oi an apparatus in which the foam receiver has asquare shape.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a plant comprising a setof apparatus disposed in series. 7

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a modified plant, and

Figure 7 is the corresponding plan view.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises acylindrical metallic body 1, having a tapered bottom 2 provided with anemptying cock or valve 4. preferably associated with a stream ofpressure liquid inlet 3 for blowing out the waste substances throughcock 1-. Said body 1 is formed at the upper part with a truncatedportion 5 or foam receiver (so-called spitz) for collecting the foamcontaining the emulsified mineral substance.

The truncated portion 5 is surrounded by an annular trough 6 which has aslight slope and ends in a very inclined helical chute 7 At the upperpart of body 1 and concentrically therewith, is disposed a liquid-tightcylinder 8 with conical upper and lower closures 10, 15. Between walls 1and 8 is an annular space 9 preferably provided with small baflies 9 orprojectioiis. The tapered upper end 10 of cylinder 8 carries a verticalstud 11 upon which is mounted in any suitable manner a funnel 12 havinga lower tapered portion 13 which is parallel to the ta.- pered part 10,thus leaving between them an annular space 14 for the passage of the oreor like raw material which is loaded through hopper 12.

The apex 16 ofthe conical bottom 15 of cylinder 8 is situatedsubstantially midway of the height of body 1.

An emulsion supply conduit 17 opens upwardly below the, apex 16 ofbottom 15; the emulsifying agent may consist of water (or other liquid)and cresyl or like emulsi g substance and is adapted to form anem onwith air or gas, in a mixing device 18 of any suitable type, for examplea contrlfugal m0 pump located outside the apparatus.

Below the conduit 17 is an intake conduit 19 by which the liquid (water)and the emulsifying substance is withdrawn and is returned to themixingpump l8. Into conduit 19 opens a pipe 20 ada ted for the supply ofthe emulsifying su stance such as cresol, turpentine, tar, petrol etc.The emulsifying substance,- which is introduced when necessary, flows inthe direction of arrow f1. Tube 20 may also be adapted for the supply ofatmospheric air, sucked in by mixing pump 18. If compressed air, or aspecial gas, is used,.provision is made of a separate gas supply tube21.

is apparatus also comprises a certain number of partitions and battles,namely: At

the upper part, a tapered partition 22 divides the foam receiver .5 intotwo chambers, viz.,

an inner chamber 23 connected to the annular space 9, and an outer orperipheral cham ber connected to chamber 23 above partition 22.

Below the tapered bottom 15 of cylinder 8 and adjacent conduit 17 aredisposed two coaxial tapered baflies 25-26. At a short distance abovethe intake conduit 19 is mounted a tapered member 27, leaving between itand the wall of body 1 an annular space 28. These various partitions andbaflics are supported by suitable fixtures.

For the sake of clearness, the apparatus has been mentally divided intofour regions A,B, C, D, (Fig. 1) separated by three horizontal lanes. Ais the foam collecting region, the emulsion region, C isthe settlingregion and D the waste' collecting region...

In operation, the mixing pump 18 is started. Air or gas is withdrawn orforced under pressure through pipe 20 or 21. If necessary, a certainamount of emulsifying substance can be added through pipe 20. Pump 18produces anemulsion comprising the liquid such as water) the emulsifyingsubstance (such as cresyl, petrolor the like) and air or another gas,and this emulsion is delivered through conduit 17 into the apparatus atthe lower part of the emulsion region C; the tapered baflie 25 guidesthe emulsion to a point below the tapered bottom 15 of cylinder 8,according to the arrows 2.

The emulsifying. bubbles which are ormed at high pressure in the pump 18are given ofi, and they rise through the space9 (emulsion region B). Theemulsifying medium consisting of the liquid and the emulsifying agentflows down between the tapered mem= bers 25 and 26, reaches the annularspace 28 and flows upwardly to the conduit 19 by which it is returned tothe mixing pump 18. The emulsive agent thus circulates in a closedcircuit. I

Due to the provision of tapered baflie 27, place at the periphery at thesuction takes a slow speed, and the emulsified mineral-subbetween thetop 10 low the tapered member 2 part 32 below which prevented from beingdrawn into the mixing pump.

The mineral substance is supplied through funnel 12 in a semi-fluidstate, due to a slight addition of oil or kerosene, and flows down ofcylinder 8 and bafiie 13 and then proceeds into the annular space 9(emulsion region B).. Onits downward movement in said region, it meetswith the rising air or gas bubbles, which produces a mixture or emulsionof the semi-fluid mineral. substance with the air of said emulsion isfurthered by the bafiles or project-ions 9 by which eddies are producedin this space.

Obviously, the height of the region 3 will "be varied according to thenature of the min- 'eral substance'employed, and the diameters of theparts 1 and 8 may be adjusted according to the desired output. Thesection of stance is practically space 9 may be reduced in order toincrease amount of emulsifying substance added to the liquid. I

The foam (that is the emulsion of the mineral substance) collects at theupper part of the foam collecting region A. Partition 22 deflects therising emulsion towards the centre and thus reduces the eddies of thefoam, and prevents it from mixing with the raw material supplied through14.

This foam may be removed by delivering liquid at 23 for causing the foamto overflow, without affecting the region C. The foam is collected inchannel 6. It mayalso be removed by any other suitable mechanical ormanual means, but, in this case, an overflow is to be avoided, which maybe readily obtained by the use of an overflow pipe 29 opening at a pointsomewhat below the upper level of the foam-receiver.

The waste products or the mineral substance, which are not buoyant, falldown along the baffle 26, and collect at the bottom 2, from which theyare discharged in a continuous or intermittent manner, either bygravity, or by the use of a stream of liquid or steam discharged throughpipe 3. The waste products may be collected below the apparatus, or theymay be taken up by an elevating device (not shown) a screw conveyor orthe like.

Fig. 3 illustrates a similar apparatus in which the said mixing device18 is eliminated, the liquid, such as water, and the emulsifying mainody 1. In this example, the emulsifying substance is supplied at willthrough a pipe 30. An emulsifying device is disposed at the centre ofthe apparatus and be and comprises a 31, having a restricted is disposeda coaxial central vertical tube or gas; the formation I substanceremaining constantly in the emulsion with tube 34, pierced with smallorifices for the upward exit of compressed air or gas supplied through aconduit 33. Due to the suction effect of the air, the liquid and theemulsifying substance rise in tube 31 and form an the air, the functionof the emulsion being the same as above specified.

Obviously, the apparatus may have other shapes than those representedin'Fi res 1 to 3; for instance, the foam receiver 1 igure l) may have asquare or a rectangular form, by which the removal of the foam will befacilitated in certain cases.

A certain number of apparatus'X X X X (Figures 6 and 7) may be arrangedin a battery in cooperation with a single emulsiiying device 28. v

The apparatus, supplied by a common emulsifying device or by severalemulsifying devices, may be mounted in series; in this manner it ispossible to classify different substances, or to obtain a purer foam.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the details of constructionsabove specified, which are given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A plant for the separation of solid substances from a raw material bythe emulsion process, comprising a receptacle, an impervious centralstructure coaxial with said receptacle and leaving an annular space,between both, a conical top member above said structure, a loadingfunnel above the apex of said top member. means for delivering anemulsion below said structure, a settling chamber below said annularspace, means for withdrawing clear liquid from said settling chamber,and emulsifying means between said delivering means and said withdrawingmeans.

2. A plant as cla'med in claim 1 comprising an upwardly flaring chamberabove said annular recess, a partition substantially parallel with saidtop member for deflecting the foam produced inwardly, whereby said foammay proceed over the edge of said partition into the outer portion ofsaid chamber, and an inclined trough for receiving the overflowing foamfrom said chamber.

3. A plant as claimed in claim 1 comprising a conical bafile extendingfrom the base of said funnel paralled with said top memher forseparating the descending loaded material from the ascending foam.

4. A plant as claimed in claim 1 comprising bafies in said annularspace.

5. A plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of saidstructure comprises a. downwardly tapering portion facing the outlet ofsaid emulsion delivering means, and which comprises two substantiallyconical bafies. spaced from one another and from said tapering portion,for guiding the emulstances from a raw material by the emulsion process,comprising a receptacle, an impervious central structure coaxial withsaid receptacle and leaving an annular space, between both, a conicaltop member above said structure, a loading, funnel above the apex ofsaid top member, an air under pressure emulsifier-exhauster, a settlingchamber below said annular space, means for with drawing clear liquidfrom said settling chamher, and emulsifying means between saiddelivering means and said withdrawing means. 8. A plant for theseparation of solid substances from a raw material by the emulsionprocess, comprising a receptacle, an impervious central structurecoaxial with said receptacle and leaving an annular space, between both,a conical top member above said structure, a loading funnel above theapex of said. top member, means for delivering an emulsion below saidstructure, a settling chamber below said annular space, means forwithdrawing clear liquid from said settling chamber and furtheremulsifying means between said delivering means and said withdrawingmeans.

9. A plant for the separation of solid substances from a raw material bythe emulsion process, comprising a receptacle, an impervious centralstructure coaxial with said receptacle and leaving an annular space,between both,a conical top member above said structure, a loading funnelabove the apex of said top member, an air under pressureemulsifier-exhauster, below said annular space, means for withdrawingclear liquid from said settling chamber, and further emulsifying meansbetween said delivering means and said withdrawing means.

10. A process for the separation of solid substances from a rawmaterialin which an emulsion is prepared by beating of air, water and anonoily emulsifying substance, said emulsion is circulated while beingsubjected to a fall of pressure, whereby a layer of air bubbles isformed over the surface of said emulsion, slightly oiling the materialto be treated, bringing the oiled material into contact with said layerwithout agitationand separating the froth so formed.

11. A process for the separation of solid substances from a raw materialin which an emulsion is prepared under relatively high pressure bybeating of air, water and a nonoily emulsifying substance, said emulsionis circulated while being subjected to afall-of pressure whereby a layerof air bubbles is a settling chamber.

forced over the surface of said emulsion, slightly oiling the materialto be'treated,

bringing the oiled material-into contact with said layer withoutagitation and separating the front so formed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALEXIS DESIRE JOSEPH ELIE.

